Review on the Association between Exercise and Adipose Tissue Browning

This article reviewed the influences of brown adipose tissue and beige adipocytes on energy metabolism,and also summarized the effects of exercise on adipose tissue browning and underlying molecular mechanisms.Recent studies have shown that functional brown adipose tissue exists in adults.Unlike white adipose tissue,brown adipose tissue has the capability of dissipating chemical energy.Some conditions,such as exercise and cold exposure,can result in the development of inducible brown adipocytes(named beige adipocytes)in white adipose tissue,which was named as brown tissue browning.Activation of beige adipocytes in white adipose tissue may provide a promising therapeutic target for obesity and associated diseases,which has drawn extensive attention from researchers.Animal studies have shown that exercise can increase gene expressions of the brown adipocyte-specific genes in white adipose tissue,thereby inducing white adipose tissue browning.However,the origin of the beige adipocytes remains unclear.To date,only two studies examined the effects of exercise on white adipose tissue browning in humans;however,the findings were not consistent.More studies in humans are needed to clarify the potential effects of various types of exercise on white adipose tissue browning and elucidate the physiological implications and underlying mechanisms.